New Water Cities in the Asia-Pacific Region

This virtual symposium presents innovative case studies on large-scale urban water projects across Asia-Pacific, from Shanghai, to Ho Chi Minh City to Sydney. The design of new city districts in today’s dynamic and uncertain world requires creative design, technical know-how and commitment over long time frames. The range of projects discussed by leading designers and scholars covers a range of challenges such as rapid urban growth, pollution, liveability and water security problems including water supply, storm surges, urban subsidence and sea level rise. The discussion will identify barriers to the delivery of successful water-sensitive cities and the factors that strengthen project vision and water-related objectives to be carried through the development process and realised over the longer term.

• Dou Zhang, Director, SASAKI Shanghai – Xuhui Runway Park, Shanghai
• Stephen Buckle, Director, ASPECT Studios Shanghai – People and nature as a framework within complex urban density
• Dr. Scott Hawken, Convenor, Urban Water Resilience Lab – Urban Megaprojects and Water Security in Southeast Asia
• David Tickle, Principal (Urban Design) and Ella Gauci-Seddon, Landscape Architect, HASSEL – Resilient South City and the Colma Creek Connector
• Dr. Kefeng Zhang, Research Manager, Sino-Australian Centre on Sponge City and Dr. Veljko Prodanovic, Research Associate at UNSW Water Research Centre – What Makes a Successful Sponge City Project? Expert perceptions of critical factors in integrated urban water management in the Asia-Pacific
• Cynthia Herkrath, Researcher, Urban Water Resilience Lab – Green Square and the urban water cycle: vision and reality
• Alexa McAuley, Director, Civille Sydney – Challenges and successes of water sensitive urban design in Australia - from 2000 to 2020 to 2040
• Mark Tyrrell, Director, TYRRELLSTUDIO Sydney – Blue Green Infrastructure  for Sydney’s Western Parkland City

Dou Zhang, Director, SASAKI Shanghai

Presentation: Xuhui Runway Park, Shanghai

Ms. Zhang has designed many award-winning landscapes in the past 20 years, with recent practice focused on public parks and urban landscapes. Her background in architecture and experience on master planning enable her to create grand visions as well as finite details, from landscape to a more integrated environment. She is one of the founders of the Shanghai Landscape Forum, a current USGBC SS TAG member, and the former ASLA International PPN Co-Chair. Frequently speaking at conferences, serving as a jury member in many national and international competitions, Ms. Zhang has also been teaching the graduate design studio at Tongji University since 2018. 

Dr. Scott Hawken, Convenor, Urban Water Resilience Lab

Presentation: Urban Megaprojects and Water Security in Southeast Asia

Dr Scott Hawken is an Urban Designer, Landscape Architect and Landscape Archaeologist. His work focuses on the agency of open space as a variable in the spatial makeup of the city. Open space networks and patterns are infrastructures in their own right and will increase in importance as cities around the world continue to develop. Scott's expertise is Asian Urbanism and Ecological Networks. He convenes the Urban Water Resilience Lab. 

Cynthia Herkrath, Researcher, Urban Water Resilience Lab

Presentation: Green Square and the Urban Water Cycle: vision and reality

Cynthia Herkrath has over 10 years’ experience as urban designer and development manager and is qualified in Urban Planning, Landscape Architecture and Property Development. Cynthia has been involved across the whole life-cycle of some of the largest urban renewal projects in Australia, managing projects from visioning and conceptual design through to delivery. Through her unique mix of skills and experience, Cynthia brings broader socio-economic considerations to into her research work currently focused on landscape-driven urban design.

Alexa McAuley, Director, Civille Sydney 

Presentation: Challenges and successes of water sensitive urban design in Australia - from 2000 to 2020 to 2040

Alexa McAuley is a qualified environmental engineer with close to twenty years’ experience in water management and green infrastructure, Alexa works to create more sustainable, liveable cities by integrating environmental engineering with urban ecology, landscape and urban design.  Alexa has been involved in several of Sydney’s landmark water sensitive urban design projects, as well as helping many local government clients shift water sensitive urban design from a niche practice to a mainstream activity.

Mark Tyrrell, Director, TYRRELLSTUDIO Sydney

Presentation: Blue Green Infrastructure for Sydney’s Western Parkland City

Mark Tyrrell is the founder of TYRRELLSTUDIO, holds degrees in Architecture, Urban Design and Landscape Architecture and works on public projects at the junction of these disciplines. TYRRELLSTUDIO recently designed the Blue Green Infrastructure Framework for Sydney’s Western Parkland City and won the AILA National Award of Excellence for the design of Sydney’s largest urban park, The Southern Parklands. TYRRELLSTUDIO has also collaborated with the NSW Government Architects Office to create the Greater Sydney Green Grid Spatial Framework, a visionary plan which has reshaped the future of greater Sydney, set around a vast newly connected system of public domain. Mark is immediate past president of the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects NSW chapter, is Adjunct Professor at UTS and sits on the NSW State Design Review Panel.

Dr. Kefeng Zhang, Research Manager, Sino-Australian Centre on Sponge City

Presentation:  What Makes a Successful Sponge City Project? Expert perceptions of critical factors in integrated urban water management in the Asia-Pacific

Dr Kefeng Zhang is a senior research associate at Water Research Centre, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UNSW Sydney. He has been working mainly in the area of urban stormwater management, including stormwater quality monitoring and modelling, green technologies (e.g., stormwater bio-retention systems and green walls) that are developed under the concept of Water Sensitive Urban Design (also called Sponge City in China), as well as development of integrated urban water modelling tools.

Dr. Veljko Prodanovic, Research Associate at UNSW Water Research Centre

Presentation:  What Makes a Successful Sponge City Project? Expert perceptions of critical factors in integrated urban water management in the Asia-Pacific

Veljko Prodanovic is Research Associate at UNSW Water Research Centre, part of the WaterGUM group that focuses on sustainable solutions for water management and treatment in urbanised areas. His main focus is development of green WSUD technologies for water management and modelling of the effect of infrastructure and policies on urban water quantity and quality. Veljko is involved in different national and international projects on using green water treatment technology to clean and reuse different sources of wastewater.

Stephen Buckle, Director, ASPECT Studios Shanghai 

Presentation: People and nature as a framework within complex urban density.

Stephen Buckle is a Studio Director and creative lead at ASPECT Studios. An influential Designer, Landscape Architect and Urbanist recognised for his striking city shaping projects that look to challenge and disrupt mundanity, carry impact and meaning, while strive to addressing the complex social, environmental and technical problems faced in some of the world’s most densely urbanised cities. His influence and thinking has helped to guide and forge the strategic direction and portfolio of the ASPECT Studios in Asia.

Ella Gauci-Seddon, Landscape Architect, HASSEL

Presentation: Resilient South City and the Colma Creek Connector

Ella is a landscape architect at Hassell, the current Vice President of AILA Victoria and a tutor at RMIT. Ella believes that developing a detailed understanding of a site, its systems and the people who use it is the critical first step to creating successful places. Listening to a community and learning how people interact with an existing site ensures an outcome that will be welcomed now, and into the future. Through teaching, working and research, Ella has explored a deepening interest in designing landscapes that will be able to cope with and flourish in indeterminate and unpredictable future conditions.

David Tickle, Principal (Urban Design), HASSEL

Presentation: Resilient South City and the Colma Creek Connector

David’s world revolves around cities and what makes them tick – the way people live and move in them and the quality of their buildings and public spaces. For him, great urban design has inclusion and resilience at its heart. He has experience on many large-scale urban design and architecture projects across Asia, Australia and the US, including Huangpu East Bank Urban Forest in Shanghai and Resilient by Design in San Francisco.

Acknowledgements:

The Urban Water Resilience Lab and its collaborators from Shanghai Jiao Tong University led by Professor Che Shengquan and UNSW Sydney.

CPD: 2.5 Points Informal Date: 25 June 4pm-6:30pm Location: Zoom Online (link provided closer to event) Cost: FREE
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